Picture



May 17, 1932. v MYERS 1,858,786

PICTURE Filed June 3, 1929 INVENTOR By Attorneys,

Patented May 17, .1932

UNITED STATES EUGENE v. or EAST onanen, mesa:

PICTURE p Application filed June 3, 1929. Serial No. 367,978.

This invention relates to pictures displayed upon curved-or angular surfaces, the word picture being used in a sense of illustrations, text, or any other matter displayed. 7

which are commonly used in car advertising and which are located enerally on the curved surface which joins't e sides of the car to the main roof section. The value of such advertising is considerably minimized by the fact that no matter how successfully it is depicted on the cards when'it is mounted in curved position the -illustration or other matter is, to the observer, distorted. The object of the present invention is specifically to pro vide an advertising card or other similar device which is of itself distorted when flat, and which is undistorted when it is placed in its final position to be viewed.

In the ordinary case such as is experienced in car advertising the curve of -the cards is usually in avertical plane, all horizontal lines being straight. As this is the customary case the invention will first be described with regard to the particular conditions there met.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the invention Figure 1 is a front view of a portion "of a vehicle provided with an advertising card or other sign as viewed from a suitable point such as is normally occupied by the observers and showing the effect of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a face view of the card shown in Fig. 1 when the card is lying flat.

' Fig. 3 illustrates one method of carrying out the invention. I

Referring to the drawings let A indicate the curved portion of a vehicle and B an advertising card as viewed from an ordinary position such as would be occupied by the observer in front of the card and slightly.

below the same. For the purpose of illustrat- F ing the invention I have shown the advertising matter, which'may be of any character) as comprising a simple circle. It will be observed in Fig. 1 that this circle appears to be mathematically correct on the curved surface which is represented in that figure. Re-

ferring to Fig. 2 which shows the same advertising card flat, it will be observed that the actual circle printed upon the card is somewhat elliptical, the major diameter being the While the invention has other a plications it is particularly directed to advertlsing cards Vertical. According to the present invention,there fore, in preparing the actual cards which are to be later mounted, the cards in flat condition are so distorted that they will appear to be substantially undistorted when in final position. It would, of course, be possible for the original artist or printer to deliberately produce 'aproof which is'a distorted replica of the subject of the card and by any one of the printing or color printing means so produce the duplicates which are to be actually mounted in use. Such methods are, however, very impracticable and the present invention produces the desired results mechanical- 1y, This may be done in several different is distorted, particularly at its top and bottom, when lying flat, the top and the bottom being elongated in a vertical direction, and this will apply generally to the various depictions upon the original. If a single color is to be used a positive may be printed from the negative and any form of reproduction into plates or on stone followed. By the printing from the plates or stones there is produced a distorted duplicate of the negative.

Or if color printing is to be vused several curved negatives will be taken through color screens and supplemental plates made in the usual way which are used forthe printing of thecards.

In each case the film is preferably used fiat when transferred to the plate. The

plates may be used either flat or curved as is desired during the printing operation.

The method of taking the curved photograph is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 3. In this figure the original drawing C is flat and the photographic film D is curved to approximately the shape which the final card will assume. If such cards in use are normally located above theobserver or at any other angle which is not perpendicular to the general plane of the card with the rc sult that one or the other edges of the latter is foreshortened excessively, allowance. may be made in the location of the film or its curvature with regard to the original being photographed such as will compensate for the onesided distortion which may be visually observed.

Other methods may be employed for producing the distortion than those described. Incolor printing a single, curved negative may be used and a positive print taken from this which may thereafter be photographed flat with a flat film or plate to provide the pictures required for the printing plates or stones.

In certain instances the original may be mounted in curved position with the curvature at right angles to that at which the vehicle card will be mounted and a flat photograph taken thereof. This will foreshorten the sides on the flat film and lengthen the picture vertically. Prints taken from such a film will show a vertical elongation which will be compensated for when mounted in horizontal curved position.

It is obvious that if the final cards are to be mounted in a position wherein they curve outwardly instead of inwardly the same method of compensating for distortion may be used. So also if there is a double curvature in the mounting, and, hence, of the ultimate pictures, and the film will be given a corresponding double curvature during the process of photographing.

In the appended claims I have used the word picture to include any illustration, text, or other matter displayed.

I have also used the word flat to include such minor curvatures or distortions as would in the case of an undistorted picture be recognized by the eye as substantially undistorted. I

It is within the invention to make partial corrections of the usual distortions, and the claims are intended to cover such partial correction.

While I have shown and described one form of the invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto, since various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. The method of producing a picture for mounting in other than a flat plane, which comprises photographing a normally proportioned picture upon a fi m distorted in sub .stantially the same manner as the ultimate mounting, and printing from such picture.

2. The method of producing color pictures for mounting in other than a flat plane, which comprises photographing the normal original when fiat upon films distorted in substantially the same manner as the ultimate mounting, the photographs being taken through color screens, and then preparing color plates from said films.

3. A photographically produced advertising card or the like havlng a picture thereon and intended for use in a plane other than a flat plane, the picture being photographically distorted on the card so as to give the appearance of a normal, undistorted picture when the card is. placed in its intended position.

4. A photographically produced advertising card intended to be used in vertically curved condition, said advertising card having a photographically distorted picture thereon which when the card is flat is distorted to elongate the picture vertically.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

EUGENE V. MYERS.

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